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My system sounds duff tonight. Bloody Electric.

This morning it was all sparkling bliss and sounded fantastic - OOOOOOH YES I thought you are worthy of Scalford my precious, switch to tonight its got no dynamics and sounds leaden, I have friends round some nights and it just lets me down like an unruly pet (border terrier probably, feral wire brushes that they are), I really need to sort my mains out, without

TWO: Spending a sodding mint - as I'm a bit potless (normal setting) after a few in effect swapsies for other bits of kit, even paid back a relative! I have a QED mains 4 gang filter on my system. But certainly in my application its about as much use as a cat flap on a submarine.

I think Regeneration is the way to go, or something that just stashes so much of a reservoir that resistance is futile. Ideas?... Cost?

Last edited by SMEagol; 07-03-2011 at 10:12 PM.

"Before you play two notes learn how to play one note - and don't play one note unless you've got a reason to play it." - Mark Hollis (1998)

I suffer from this all the time (well, you know what I mean). But I increasingly suspect that mood/tiredness/stress and so on have a major part to play. How much is changes in mains, how much mood? Your guess is as good as mine.

I'm having a very much 'on' night this evening, but during the day, 9 times out of 10 it just doesn't grab me and I get a feeling of can't be bothered. That usually results in me not listening to music for a few days, by which time things improve immensely. I agree with paskinn though, mood/tiredness/stress can all work against you and make your brain unreceptive to the message of music, however much you might *want* to listen. I also think you can get too used to the sound of your own system if you listen to music most days/evenings. A secondary pair of speakers with a different character swapped in every now and then helps me to keep it sounding fresh .

...the last bits probably not great advice for me. The resounding greeting at Scalford was

"Oh, you're SMEagol, that guy that gets through a load of kit."

Good point guys about the stress though, today was very stressful and I'm in early tomorrow. They actually say your body goes into fight or flight mode when you are feeling panicky and this changes perception of how you hear amongst other things. Still think its the mains though, as I had to turn the wick up to get any sense of dynamics, which is very odd.

Last edited by SMEagol; 07-03-2011 at 11:19 PM.

"Before you play two notes learn how to play one note - and don't play one note unless you've got a reason to play it." - Mark Hollis (1998)

Hasn't been too bad for the last day or so but there could be substantial activity coming ... http://www.spaceweather.com/. Not sure it'll affect domestic audio though - I understood that solar effects on the grid were either small-scale or catastrophic (all the lights go out).

...the last bits probably not great advice for me. The resounding greeting at Scalford was

"Oh, you're SMEagol, that guy that gets through a load of kit."

Oops, nevermind that bit then . I know the mains is pretty dire in this old block of flats where I live. If I so much as flick a socket switch in the kitchen, or unplug something, it comes through my speakers as a pop/click. I don't think it's been rewired in the 40 or so years since it was built so I can certainly see how bad mains can play havoc with audio gear.

Originally Posted by SMEagol

I had to turn the wick up to get any sense of dynamics

I get that quite a lot. Some day's I seem to be unable to sense dynamic shifts, particularly subtle one's in the music that I listen to. No idea at all why that is though .

This morning it was all sparkling bliss and sounded fantastic - OOOOOOH YES I thought you are worthy of Scalford my precious, switch to tonight its got no dynamics and sounds leaden, I have friends round some nights and it just lets me down like an unruly pet (border terrier probably, feral wire brushes that they are), I really need to sort my mains out, without

TWO: Spending a sodding mint - as I'm a bit potless (normal setting) after a few in effect swapsies for other bits of kit, even paid back a relative! I have a QED mains 4 gang filter on my system. But certainly in my application its about as much use as a cat flap on a submarine.

I think Regeneration is the way to go, or something that just stashes so much of a reservoir that resistance is futile. Ideas?... Cost?

I suffer from this all the time (well, you know what I mean). But I increasingly suspect that mood/tiredness/stress and so on have a major part to play. How much is changes in mains, how much mood? Your guess is as good as mine.

I used to think it could be a mood thing until I got a system that wasn't effected by the mains. I could come home knackered, with a headache, put some music on and it was still gorgeous to listen too (but still had 'bite' and excitement)

well, one thing you have to get into your head is that you have just visted a hifi show with lots of expensive kit and well matched kit playing much louder than you probably listen at home. the volumes there wer eprobably higher than what you think and this obviously sound more full on and dynamic - back to reality and your home and the `normal' listening levels need to be adjusted to. I also have a head cold that has affected my ears, so that wont help!

i have to admit, mine sounded rather gentle and relaxed after getting home from the show, but I will adjust back to it. best not to think about it for a few days i actually prefer a relaxed presentation but its hard not to get wowed by the kit that was there and the greater SPLs add to that excitement and dynamics
Those NEAT MFS's sounded great tho...i wonder..... naah
its just a stereo Chris..its just a stereo and we all have superb stereos that far outperforms what 99% of the population listen to `hifi' wise.

sitting here in my office listening to Bob Marley on a 15 quid Asda `Venturer' cd player and Bob still sounds great....

something else i have learned is sometimes I am just not in the mood for music and it doesnt matter how good the system is performing, it wont get my juices going as I just aren't up for it. As hifi and music buffs we think this should not happen..and we tend to want our kit on all the time as it is just the nature of this hobby but sometimes it's best to just leave it until you really fancy a music session, rather than listening to it cos you `always do' which makes you take it for granted...and this leads to the first part of `the nervosa.'

Chris until you have your mains checked and tested by a QUALIFIED electrical engineer any "improvements" will not work. I have said I will undertake this work for you, but until now I haven't heard anything from you on this subject. Throwing money at a "problem" may not address the problem. Because you have to identify the problem. When this has been done then you can do something about it!
S

I have to say that quite bizzarely the impossible happens in my house, as some rooms suffer from good/bad days and others don't. The ones that don't have their own mains spur and separate fuse box (my main listening room), the ones that do have a shared mains spur with all the other rubbish people plug into the wall like fridges, freezers, wall wart supplies, microwaves, TVs, etc.. I always put this down to the voltage dropping and also to crap being put down the mains by things like fridges.

On another subject, I found most of the rooms at Scalford were too quiet, but that is me I guess.

Looking forward to Steve swapping over to Neat speakers soon, along with the 7 associated amp swaps

I have avoided power conditioners, as the ones I have tried did not do a lot for the system in my view. I would take up Stewarrt's offer of a check-out of the mains first, as it's free ffs.

p.s. Oh, I have one of those fashionable power conditioners if you want one to try.

I know this sounds simplistic, because incoming mains quality DOES alter from time to time, but surely the first priority is to look at a fully dedicated radial circuit system if this is a feasible option (i.e. own house, etc.).

Depending on how many cable runs you want (pref. one per piece of kit), this installation would cost between £200 and £600 including a sparks ( I hope I've allowed for inflation here ). If you think this would be better spent on a piece of good kit, you are deluded, i.m.o. Aftermarket gizmos like filters (ugh !) and regenerators can still be added once the basics are done.

As I'm on my upteenth mains system over twenty-five years, I am more convinced now than I've ever been, as the higher up the audio chain I go, the more apparent are the benefits.

I f you want to be immune to mains bourne nasties, buy Bryston...
They've made their power supplies right in the first place.
Then you've got that terrible byproduct of enormous amounts of available power!

BT mains conditioners are about the cheapest regeneration solution. They rarely exceed £30 and do what most "audiophile" conditioners do.

Always a few on the bay.

As far as I can see this does not regenerate the mains. A regenerator will have an inverter that will change the incoming AC to DC and then re-convert it back to AC modifying the it to a constant 230V and a near perfect sign wave. No other method of mains conditioners does this and if you get voltage fluctuations on your house supply then most conditioners will give you just that. As Bob (ICHM) says "normal" mains conditioners usually kill the performance of a system.

I'm no expert but I was always under the impression they regenerated 230v. They are very heavy and have some very large windings. Dunno what else something that hefty would do.

Originally Posted by mr.me

As far as I can see this does not regenerate the mains. A regenerator will have an inverter that will change the incoming AC to DC and then re-convert it back to AC modifying the it to a constant 230V and a near perfect sign wave. No other method of mains conditioners does this and if you get voltage fluctuations on your house supply then most conditioners will give you just that. As Bob (ICHM) says "normal" mains conditioners usually kill the performance of a system.